Hoyer: President Bush Should Stop Making Excuses for Job Losses, and Offer a Real Job-Creation Plan

For Immediate Release:

February 19, 2004

Contact Info:

Stacey Farnen

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today regarding President Bush’s comments on the economy:

“There is a reason that President Bush is suffering from a serious credibility gap, and it was on full display again today. Whenever President Bush addresses our economy, he inevitably – and defensively – runs through a backward-looking litany of excuses for why millions of Americans have lost their jobs during the last three years.

“Jobless Americans do not want to hear excuses. They want to know what the President will do to rev up our economy and create jobs. They have heard over and over that the President’s tax cuts – which largely benefited the richest Americans – will create millions of jobs, only to be let down again and again.

“Just last week, the President predicted that the American economy would create 2.6 million jobs in 2004. But now the President and top cabinet officials are in full retreat on that pie-in-the-sky prediction.

“The reality is that President Bush does not have a job-creation program beyond cheerleading at campaign events. But, of course, wishful thinking will never create the jobs that are necessary for American families to thrive.

“The President’s advisers seem to believe that these happy-talk sessions on the economy demonstrate that he is engaged. In fact they do the President more harm than good because they show just how out of touch he really is.

“I hope that the President will work with Democrats this year to implement a job creation program that will ensure that every American who wants to work can find a job.”